1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of confirming an image based on image data prior to transfer of the image data to a predetermined destination.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of medicine, various kinds of diagnostic image generating apparatuses (modalities) using X rays or the like have been in use, and CR (Computed Radiography) apparatuses, CT (Computed Tomography) apparatuses, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) apparatuses and the like have been put into practice. An image (image data) generated by a modality of such a kind is used in a medical facility for diagnosis of a lesion or injury, or the degree thereof, by being displayed on a CRT display (hereinafter simply called xe2x80x9cCRTxe2x80x9d) or output on a film by an LP (Laser Printer).
A CR apparatus herein referred to means a radiation image reading recording apparatus. A CR apparatus uses a stimulable phosphor which emits light upon exposure to a stimulating ray such as visible light or an infrared ray in accordance with radiation energy stored in a stimulable phosphor sheet. Radiation image information recorded in the stimulable phosphor sheet is obtained by scanning the sheet with a stimulating ray to cause the sheet to emit light, and the emitted light is read photoelectrically as an image signal by the CR apparatus. Recently CR apparatuses have become widely used and put into practice.
Following the recent advancement in technologies in the field of communications and computers, medical network systems using computers have been installed in hospitals. Each apparatus described in the above, which used to be used only in a stand alone mode, can now be used on a network. A modality is set as an image data acquiring apparatus, and an LP is connected to the image data acquiring apparatus as an output apparatus. A diagnostic image reading terminal for displaying an image for diagnostic purposes is placed as an apparatus to receive the image in a room remote from the location of the image data acquiring apparatus. The image data acquiring apparatus and the image reading terminal are connected via a network so that medical doctors can carry out diagnosis at a location remote from the image data acquiring apparatus.
However, in a conventional medical network system such as the one described above, image data obtained by the image data acquiring apparatus are transferred automatically to the image reading terminal connected to the network, and image confirmation based on the obtained image data prior to the transfer has rarely been carried out. Therefore, even when there is a mistake in photographing, or photographing has not been carried out at an appropriate density, for example, image data having such a problem are all transferred to the image reading terminal, and the problem is found only at the time of diagnosis, which causes a problem with the diagnosis.
It is possible to display images based on obtained image data one by one on a image inspecting workstation or the like to confirm the quality of an image before the transfer of the image data to the image reading terminal and to transfer only the image data having been judged to be appropriate. In this method, even if a plurality of images for one patient (for example, images photographed at slightly different angles) are photographed by using one or a plurality of apparatuses, quality of each image is confirmed and the image is transferred one by one. Therefore, it is necessary for the image reading terminal to acquire necessary image data (in the above example, data of images photographed at different angles) through a search of separately transferred image data and to display the images based on the obtained image data, which is not convenient for diagnostic purposes. Furthermore, since collective management or confirmation of images obtained by a medical examination of one patient is not carried out, it is insufficient to confirm image quality one by one and to transfer thereafter, in the case where image quality judgment obtained only through comparison between a plurality of images is necessary (for example, in the case where one image needs sharper contrast or darker density overall) or in the case where more images are necessary for more precise diagnosis (for example, in the case where an image of a different portion is necessary or an image at a different angle is necessary).
The present invention has been created based on consideration of the above problems. An object of the present invention is to provide an image confirming method wherein the quality of an image is confirmed based on image data, and not only image quality judgment which cannot be obtained through confirmation of each image upon transfer of the image data to an image reading terminal but also easy specification, transfer, and display of confirmed image data are possible.
An image confirming method of the present invention comprises:
a grouping step wherein a plurality of images are classified into image groups each of which has a common characteristic; and
a confirmation step wherein, regarding each image group including a plurality of images and classified in the grouping step, quality of the images in the image group is confirmed by referring to other images in the image group, and is characterized by the fact that predetermined processing can be carried out on the image group having been confirmed.
The xe2x80x9cgroup classified in the grouping stepxe2x80x9d includes a group comprising only one image classified in the grouping step and having no other images with common characteristics.
As a result of the grouping, all images can be included in one group or only one image group may have a plurality of images. However, the case where image quality is judged only regarding the only image group is included as a case of judgment xe2x80x9cregarding each image groupxe2x80x9d.
Furthermore, another image confirming method of the present invention comprises:
a first grouping step wherein, regarding image classes each of which includes a plurality of images, the images included in each image class are grouped into image subgroups each of which has a common characteristic;
a second grouping step wherein, regarding the image subgroups grouped in the first grouping step, image subgroups having the same characteristic of the images included therein are grouped together to form an image group, and an image subgroup having no other image subgroups with common characteristics remains as it is; and
a confirmation step wherein, regarding each image group grouped in the second grouping step and having a plurality of images, quality of each image therein is confirmed by referring to other images in the image group; and is characterized by the fact that predetermined processing can be carried out on each image group or subgroup grouped in the second grouping step.
The xe2x80x9cimage subgroups grouped in the first grouping stepxe2x80x9d includes an image subgroup classified in the first grouping step comprising only one image and having no other images with common characteristics.
The xe2x80x9ccharacteristicxe2x80x9d in the above means the kind of image such as a patient""s name, an object of examination (a class medical check-up, or a close examination or the like), an examined body portion (chest, stomach, for example), and the like. The groups grouped in the grouping step are the groups including images of the same patient name, or the same examination object, or the same body portion.
To confirm image quality by xe2x80x9creferring to other images in the image groupxe2x80x9d means to carry out image quality confirmation which cannot be carried out by observation of a single image. For example, it means to confirm whether or not all images in the image group have desired image quality by observing all the images in the image group or by comparison between each of the images (for example, judgment as to whether one image needs sharper contrast or as to whether the density of all images needs to be higher), or to confirm whether or not all the images are sufficient for diagnosis (for example, judgment as to whether images of different body portions or at different angles are necessary).
Furthermore, the xe2x80x9cpredetermined processingxe2x80x9d can be any processing as long as the processing is appropriate to process all images in the image group. For example, the processing means processing such that, by specifying a group including a plurality of images classified by the name of a patient, an object of examination, a body portion to be examined or the like, all images can be selected, displayed, or transferred if image selection, image display, or image transfer is instructed.
According to the image confirming method of the present invention, image data obtained by image data acquiring apparatus are classified into image groups each of which has a common characteristic (such as the name of a patient or an object of examination) and when a plurality of images exist in an image group, the images are confirmed by overall observation or comparison between each other. Therefore, image confirmation which cannot be obtained by observation of a single image can be carried out. Furthermore, it is possible to deal with all confirmed images collectively as a group. Therefore, image specification or transfer can be carried out in a unit of image group, and it becomes possible to specify, transfer, or display the confirmed image data easily.